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Baker says Marshall wasn't throwing at Wright

Baker says Marshall wasn't throwing at Wright

NEW YORK -- Nowadays, it seems any time a player in one of the Reds' games is hit by a pitch, manager Dusty Baker has to answer to beanball theories. This weekend is no different.

After Reds star Joey Votto was hit by a pitch from Dillon Gee in the third inning Friday night, Mets third baseman Wright David was hit by Sean Marshall in the eighth.

After the game, Wright told reporters he believed it was retaliatory.

"We would have done the same thing," Wright said. "I appreciate him keeping the ball down and kind of doing it the right way. But that has to be expected. That's just guys policing themselves, and that's the way the game's played."

Baker, who was in the news last week after he acknowledged that he instructed Mat Latos to throw inside against the Braves' Derek Lowe, denied any intent in New York.

"You can perceive anything you want to," Baker said. "[Wright] is a heck of a player. He's 4-for-6 off Marshall, so evidently nothing else has worked. He was trying to come inside with a fastball. If he's 4-for-6 off Marshall, he's probably hit breaking balls. If you're coming inside, there's not much margin -- it's just 4-6 inches between hitting a guy and it being a strike. People can perceive it any way they want to. In modern baseball, there's always going to be that perception."

Baker also said he didn't believe the Mets intended to hit Votto. Judging by Gee's reaction after the pitch, it didn't appear that he meant to either.

"What did Votto do to deserve that?" Baker said. "This guy doesn't clown, this guy doesn't showboat. He doesn't do anything that would merit getting hit ... other than just hitting .360."